Convertible toy vehicle.



C. J. DORSEY.

CONVERTIBLE TOY VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.11.1911.

Patented Mar. 12, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

C. J. DORSEY.

CONVERTIBLE TOY VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED M41141, 1911.

1,020,027. Patented Mar. 12, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrion.

CHARLES J. DORSEY, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

CONVERTIBLE TOY VEHICLE.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES J. DORSEY, a resident of Baltimore, in theState of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inConvertible Toy Vehicles; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to convertible toy vehicles, the main object ofthe invention being to provide a wagon, together with a few extra parts,which can be readily rearranged or changed to produce vehicles of aplurality of different types for the amusement and instruction ofchildren.

The invention consists in the construction and devices hereinafterdescribed and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates the invention and formspart of the specification Figure 1 is a side elevation of a vehicle inthe form containing a maximum number of parts; Fig. 2 is a plan view ofthe thills, front aXle and bolster; Fig. 3 is a cross section showingthe connection of the thills to the bolster; Fig. 4 is a perspectiveview of a bearing in the shape of a hook; Fig. 5 is a front elevation ofa front axle and bolster; Fig. 6 is a rear elevation of a substituteform of side for the vehicle body (two of these being provided) Fig. 7is a rear elevation of a forward end to be used in connection with saidsides; Fig. 8 is a side elevation of a dump-cart; Figs. 9 and 10 aredetail views showing different connecting means; Fig. 11 is an elevationof a sulky; Fig. 12 is a perspective of a vehicle seat; Fig. 13 is anelevation of a wheelbarrow; Fig. 14 is a perspective of a short shaftfor a wheelbarrow; and its brackets. Figs. 6 to 14, except 9 and 10, areon a smaller scale than the figures on Sheet 1.

Fig. 1 represents a market wagon or like covered wagon and comprises abody having a bottom 1 to which are removably secured sides 2. To eachof said sides on the inner surface is secured a front post 3, whichextends above and below the edge of the body side. The lower end of thepost fits a hole 4: in the body bottom. The upper end of each of saidposts fits a hole 5 in a seat Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 11, 1911.

Patented Mar. 12, 1912.

Serial No. 613,815.

board 6, which is removable. The rear posts 3, one on each side, areeach extended at the lower end to fit into a hole 7 in the body bottom.Parallel to the posts 3, 3 are cleats 8 which with the posts form waysfor holding a front end 9 and a tail-board 10. To the outer surface ofeach side board are fixed staples 11 adapted to receive and removablyhold the ends of wood or other bows 12 which support the canvass orsimilar cover 13. The rear axle 1 1 extends through the vertical ends 15of an inverted channel shaped bolster 16. The horizontal member of saidbolster has slots adapted to admit the heads 17 of turnable securingdevices, said heads when partly turned securing the body to the bolster.

The front axle 18 supports a bolster 19 including upward extendingmembers 20 adapted to be secured to the wagon bottom. On top of eithermember 20 may be secured a spring 21.

22 is a draft-pole-securing-device for use when a pole is preferred tothills. The parts 19, 20, 21 and 22 are secured together by a singlerivet 23. The outer ends of members 20 and of spring 21 have slots 24 toreceive turnable fastening devices 25 which when turned removably securethe body to this bolster. The spring 21 makes the connection tighter butis not essential and is omitted in Fig. 1. Holes 26 are made in thebolster to receive hooks 27 fixed to the rear ends of the thills forpulling the wagon.

As thus far described the toy wagon is complete in one form. By pullingout the bows 12 the vehicle is changed to an open farm or lumber wagon,and the seat may be removed if desired.

By removing the sides and ends of the body and inserting posts in thepost holes 7 and 4.- in the body bottom a wood wagon is provided.Suitable posts for the purpose are denoted by 60, Fig. 13, in which thesame parts form legs of the wheelbarrow.

Certain extra parts, that is, parts not found in the wagon having themaximum number of parts, are provided which come into use together withmore or less of the parts embodied in said wagon, in changing the toy torepresent a different type, for example, the posts 60. Also the twowagon sides 28, such as used in trucks, and the end 29, are provided andcan be substituted for the board sides and front. The truck sides havevertical posts 30 adapted to fit the same holes in the body bottom asthe posts 3, 3 or 60. They also have cleats 81 to form ways for thefront end 29 and, if desired, for a tail-board.

In all the above described vehicles the thills are connected thereto inthe same way, that is, by the hooks 27. In the vehicles of Figs. 8, 1].and 13, the same thills are used but in a different manner. The twothills are connected by cross bars 32 and 33, the latter having apivoted hook 29 and a central slot 84. The thills also have longitudinalslots 35 in advance of bar 33, and turnable fastening devices 36, holes37, pivot pins 88, a vertical pin 55, and a catch pin 44*. The partsdesignated 34 to 44 are provided to adapt the same thills to othervehicles, as described. below. For a like reason the body bottom hascertain additional parts, namely, two bearing brackets 40 and 41situated opposite each other a little behind the center of the bottom,the first bracket having a hole 42 and the latter bracket being in theform of an open hook. The bottom also has a fastening device 43 near thecenter of the bottom, and a pivoted catch hook 44 situated near a frontcorner of the body bottom or floor.

By separating the body, wheels and axles, and the thills, the rearwheels with their axle and bolster, the body and thills, can berearranged to form a dump cart, as shown in Fig. 8. The thills areinverted, as compared with Fig. 1, and the fastening devices 36 areinserted through the slots in the bolster and turned to secure thethills to the wheels and bolster. The body is placed thereon with thepivot pins 38 engaging the brackets 40 and 41 (the pins being easilyinserted because of the hook form of bracket 41), and the catch hook 44engagingits pin 44. Upon disengaging the hook the body can be tilted todump.

By simply removing the body of the cart and substituting the seat 6, asshown in Fig, 11, a sulky results. Said seat board has pins 46 which inthe sulky fit the holes 37 in the thills to secure the seat in place.

To form a wheelbarrow one of the front wheels is used on a short extrashaft 47 which has a fixed wheel stop 48, and a yielding stop 49 thefree end of which enters a hole in the shaft. The wheel hub is providedwith an interior longitudinal groove 50 so that the hub can be pushedonto the shaft and then held on by stop 49 which expands as the wheelpasses into place. Said wheel and axle are connected to the thills,which form the wheelbarrow handles, by brackets 51, 52, the former fixedto the shaft and the latter removable to permit the wheel to be slippedon. brackets have slots 58 to receive fastening Said devices, and onehas a hole 54 to receive the pin 55 on one of the thills to preventlateral movement of the brackets. The fastening devices 25 are farenough apart topermit the thills to pass between them, and the devices17 enter the slots 35 of the handles. In order that the parts may fitjust as described the wagon body is turned end to end as compared withits position in other figures. The fastening eyelet or device 43 on thewagon bottom is passed through the slot 34, and hook 29 engagedtherewith to lock the body to the wheel barrow handles. Legs are denotedby 60, which have before been described as posts of a wood wagon, inwhich capacity they fit the same holes, but enter opposite ends of theholes.

The parts called turnable fastening devices in small or low grade toysmay be simple screw eyes, but it is preferred to employ fiat heads withsmooth shanks passingthrough the bottom 1, or the like, and through awasher, and upset as at 57 but not so as to prevent turning the devicesat will. Other forms of fastening devices may be used. In Fig. 10 thebolster 16 and the body bottom 1 are shown connected by spring catches5S, fixed to the bottom at 59 and each carrying a pin which can be engaged with a hole in the bolster and in the bottom and disengagedtherefrom at will.

The body bottom, the thills, and one 01' more of the wheels, are foundin all the described arrangements, except that the sulky omits the saidbottom.

The invention is not limited to the de scribed devices for connecting orsupporting the several parts, since they can be varied to a considerableextent within the scope of the improvement.

I consider it broadly new with me to provide an interesting andeducational toy in the form of a convertible vehicle, in substantiallythe manner described, wherein a body, thills and wheels with a smallnumber of extra parts can be combined to form such a variety of types ofvehicles.

The device requires skill to put it together in all its forms and henceis of interest tochildren, and it is educational in that it familiarizesthem with several kinds of carts and wagons.

Having described the invention what I desire to cover by Letters Patentis 1. A convertible toy wagon comprising a body wit-h removable sides, aremovable cover, running gear, thills, two distinct connecting means onthe thills, and two distinct cooperating connecting means on the wagon,as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A convertible vehicle comprising a body having removable sideswhereby sides of a different type can be substituted, wheels, andthills, with a plurality of distinct means for connecting them to formvehicles, and a plurality of distinct cooperating connecting means onother parts of the vehicle.

3. A convertible toy vehicle comprising a body, wheels, means forconnecting the body to all or a part of the wheels as desired, thills,and means for connecting the parts to form vehicles of different types.

4. A toy device of the character described comprising a body bottom,thills, means on said bottom, and means on said thills, whereby they canbe differently associated in different types of vehicles.

5. A toy device of the character described comprising a body bottom,wheels, axles, bolsters, thills, connecting means between said thillsand bolster, means on said bottom and means on said thills whereby theparts can be difierently associated, as set forth.

6. A toy vehicle comprising thills having draft-connecting devicesdirectly on their ends, and other draft-connecting devices at said endsbut on sides thereof, combined with distinct cooperating connectingdevices on the vehicle.

7. A toy vehicle body comprising means for securing it to front and rearwheels, distinct means for securing said body to a single pair ofwheels, combined with a common drawing device, as set forth.

8. A toy vehicle body comprising means for securing it to front and rearwheels, distinct means for securing said body to a single pair ofwheels, combined with thills, and a plurality of cooperating means onthe thills and on other parts of said vehicle for difi'erentlyconnecting them to form vehicles of different types.

9. A toy vehicle body, a pair of wheels, an axle and bolster, a pair ofthills having a plurality of distinct means for connecting said thillsfor draft, cooperating connecting means on the vehicle, means forpivoting the body to the thills, and a device for holding the body fromtilting and for releasing it at will.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES J. DORSEY.

Witnesses:

Gno. S. LIVINGSTON, C. M. GATLIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

